The Other Hemp Kettle. Eric Hooper.
One summer evening in July 1969 I had found a
variable colony of the Common Hemp Nettle Galeopsis
tetrahit (see Bulletin for Spring 1972) along a
favourite driftway, and had begun to drive home in the
dusk. Almost at once my eye was arrested by a bold
sprinkling of creamy flower heads peering out of the
half light from the verge and hedge bottom. I knew
instinctively that the plants were unfamiliar and
stopped to have a closer look.
There was light enough to see from plate 60 of
Collins guide that I was looking at a colony of Large
Hemp Nettle, G. speciosa, and a fine collection of
plants they were, reaching up nearly three feet out
of rank foliage, roughly, even sharply hairy, the
attractive cream flowers violet lobed and nearly three
times the siue of those of the rather inconspicuous
tetrahit. To add another species to ones personal
list of discoveries was a cheerful end to a summer's
day.
The next day I had occasion to beard Stan Jermyn
in his Felsted Den on the matter of a certain species
of mutual interest. Before leaving I casually remarked
that I had met Galeopsis speciosa for the first time
the previous evening. As the specimen we had been
discussing was a plant hitherto not recorded for Essex,
I was greatly surprised when Stan volunteered that
neither was there any substantiated record for the
Large Hemp Nettle for the County.
A few days later I posted a sprig to him but he was
on holiday and owing to my inadequate packing, the
remains were unrecognisable on his return. Case not
proven.
The following July (1970) I was relieved to find
other colonies along the same -stretch of road, on both
sides this time, although the plants were rather less
grand in their proportions. Not having learned the
lesson I again sent Stan a branch unpressed while
he was on his annual holiday, with
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